Weather
Sayings: Wind
from the West

Wind from the West, fish bite the best.
Wind from the East, fish bite the least.
Wind from the North, do not go forth.
Wind from the South blows bait in their mouth.

Suick's Muskie Thriller,
made by Frank Suick of Antigo, WI, on display
at the Northland Fishing Museum in Osseo, WI.

Photo by Ruth Olson

Introduction

This curriculum unit will allow your students to explore the folklore, language arts and meteorology behind the “Wind from the West…” proverb. Observations of the weather turn into predictions, which sometimes turn into proverbs. This lesson will explore the link between observation, prediction and proverbs.

Weather is a driving force everywhere. Weather and climate conditions affect all aspects of life on earth. We’re especially attuned to how daily and seasonal weather affects our crops, gardens, vacations, outdoor work, and road safety, to name a few.

As have people in other places and other times, we link our observations of weather with our experiences of it. This is the first step in learning to predict weather. By observing the sky and keeping track of what happened, people learned to associate particular cloud types with a high chance of rain. By observing certain plants, people could predict a change in the weather. By observing animal behaviors or appearance, people could predict temperature changes.

For many people, predicting the weather through observation has been a necessary part of life. Farmers, hunters, sailors and others who are most directly affected by weather use these observations to protect themselves and their livelihood from the elements. Today, few people in Wisconsin rely solely on prediction by observation. Radars and satellite data provide detailed information that professional forecasters interpret and deliver via print, radio, television and internet sources. Many non-professional weather buffs seek out the same data to interpret on their own.

Even with our access to sophisticated weather prediction techniques, most people still utilize informal understandings of the weather. We all inherit traditional lore that serve as tools for predicting local weather. Proverbs - short sayings that convey advice or beliefs - are one type of this lore. For example, “The higher the clouds, the better the weather” is an observation-based saying that works to predict the day’s weather.

Proverbs often use poetic devices in order to be easily remembered. Proverbs may or may not be rhymed; they are generally full of vivid imagery that adds to their memorability. “Rain before seven, clear by eleven” is a saying commonly heard in Wisconsin that is compelling not only because of its predictive worth but also because of its rhyme and meter.

Whether we realize it or not, proverbs are all around us. “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched” or “The early bird gets the worm” are familiar fixed sayings that give advice. Some proverbs can be seen as traditional solutions to traditional problems, such as “Make the best of a bad job.” Proverbs often present one point of view: “Look before you leap,” may contradict a different point of view expressed by, “He who hesitates is lost.”

Proverbs reflect the culture that they come from. For example, the Swahili proverb popular in eastern and central Africa, “Wapiganapo tembo nyasi huumia,” translated as, “When elephants fight, the grass gets hurt” reflects a universal truth but is expressed in culturally specific terms (elephants). Proverbs may dictate behavior appropriate to a cultural group or present social norms, as in “Children should be seen and not heard.” Proverbs can also be used as a sort of scapegoat; they can take away troublesome responsibility. For example, a poor day’s fishing can easily be explained by the wind direction, and not by one’s lack of fishing skills. Proverbs are a fascinating and intricate part of day-to-day life here in Wisconsin.

Focus Questions

What is a proverb? Why do individuals and communities use them?

How do proverbs as folklore forecasts fit with other types of forecasting
methods?

Learning Objectives

Folklore

To understand that weather lore is a part of everyday life.

To understand that weather lore is linked to cultural communities.

Language Arts

To understand what a proverb is.

To build an appreciation for the narrative artistry of proverbs.

To understand “variants” of proverbs.

Meteorology

To understand the different types of predictive methods used in meteorology.

Preparing to Teach this Lesson

“Wind from the West” ProverbWind from the West, fish bite the best.
Wind from the East, fish bite the least.
Wind from the North, do not go forth.
Wind from the South blows bait in their mouth.

Weather is a driving force everywhere. Weather and climate conditions affect
all aspects of life on earth. We’re especially attuned to how daily
and seasonal weather affects our crops, gardens, vacations, outdoor work,
and road safety, to name a few.

As have people in other places and other times, we link our observations
of weather with our experiences of it. This is the first step in learning
to predict weather. By observing the sky and keeping track of what happened,
people learned to associate particular cloud types with a high chance of
rain. By observing certain plants, people could predict a change in the weather.
By observing animal behaviors or appearance, people could predict temperature
changes.

For many people, predicting the weather through observation has been a necessary
part of life. Farmers, hunters, sailors and others who are most directly
affected by weather use these observations to protect themselves and their
livelihood from the elements. Today, few people in Wisconsin rely solely
on prediction by observation. Radars and satellite data provide detailed
information that professional forecasters interpret and deliver via print,
radio, television and internet sources. Many non-professional weather buffs
seek out the same data to interpret on their own.

Even with our access to sophisticated weather prediction techniques, most
people still utilize informal understandings of the weather. We all inherit
traditional lore that serve as tools for predicting local weather. Proverbs
- short sayings that convey advice or beliefs - are one type of this lore.
For example, “The higher the clouds, the better the weather” is
an observation-based saying that works to predict the day’s weather.

Proverbs often use poetic devices in order to be easily remembered. Proverbs
may or may not be rhymed; they are generally full of vivid imagery that adds
to their memorability. “Rain before seven, clear by eleven” is
a saying commonly heard in Wisconsin that is compelling not only because
of its predictive worth but also because of its rhyme and meter.

Whether we realize it or not, proverbs are all around us. “Don’t
count your chickens before they’re hatched” or “The early
bird gets the worm” are familiar fixed sayings that give advice. Some
proverbs can be seen as traditional solutions to traditional problems, such
as “Make the best of a bad job.” Proverbs often present one point
of view; “Look before you leap” may contradict a different point
of view expressed by, “He who hesitates is lost.”

Proverbs reflect the culture that they come from. For example, the Swahili
proverb popular in eastern and central Africa, “Wapiganapo tembo nyasi
huumia,” translated as, “When elephants fight, the grass gets
hurt,” reflects a universal truth but is expressed in culturally specific
terms. Proverbs may dictate behavior that's appropriate to a cultural group
or present social norms, as in, “Children should be seen and not heard.” Proverbs
can also be used as a sort of scapegoat; they can take away troublesome responsibility.
For example, a poor day’s fishing can easily be explained by the wind
direction, and not by one’s lack of fishing skills. Proverbs are a
fascinating and intricate part of day-to-day life here in Wisconsin.

"
Wind from the West” ProverbWind from the West, fish bite the best.
Wind from the East, fish bite the least.
Wind from the North, do not go forth.
Wind from the South blows bait in their mouth.

Proverbs can tell us a lot about the people who say them. Proverbs act as
tiny packages of community advice. In them one can read the value system
of a community. We can learn more about a community’s work ethic, common
occupations, and values by looking closely at proverbs.

Even though they originate in a specific local community, some proverbs
contain universal truths and so resonate with people outside the originating
community. These proverbs are mobile, and travel from place to place with
the movement of people.

The “Wind from the West” proverb is an example of such
a proverb. This saying was recorded as early as the 1600s in England, and
can be heard today in 21st century Wisconsin. The proverb is memorable and
snappy; it is practical and applicable to day-to-day life.

This proverb is clearly one that can be identified with fishing communities.
The value with which Wisconsin holds its sport and commercial fishing economy
makes it unsurprising that this old saying is found on the "new" continent.
Immigrants, probably from England or Scotland, brought this saying to America
and eventually Wisconsin, and because of the economy and environment, the
saying stuck.

Those who fish, whether for profit, subsistence or recreation, hope for
a successful day of fishing. The ability to accurately predict one’s
day of fishing matters a lot to those who fish. Using wind direction to predict
fishing is both successful and easy. This proverb makes this simple method
easy to remember and to relate to others.

Large wooden lures made by Gil Miller of Appleton, WI, on display at the Northland Fishing Museum
in Osseo, WI.

Photo by Ruth Olson

Analyzing the Proverb

There are many kinds of language arts, both contemporary or traditional in
origin: stories, song lyrics, novels and poems are just a few. One form of
the language arts which students may have considered is the proverb or folk
saying. Proverbs have many literary attributes; some rhyme, some have a regular
meter, some use imagery or alliteration.

(a) Wind from the West,
(a) Fish bite the best;
(b) Wind from the East,
(b) Fish bite the least;
(c) Wind from the North,
(c) Do not go forth;
(d) Wind from the South,
(d) Blows bait in their mouth.

This folk saying probably has its origins in the British Isles and may be
five hundred years old or more. Even today, anglers use this saying to predict
success for the day or to excuse a poor day of fishing.

“Wind from the West…” is a great example of folk language
art. In this old saying you can see some of the most commonly used literary
methods in a utilitarian setting. A poem in itself, the proverb makes good
use of poetic techniques.

First, this proverb is very rhythmically appealing. In other words, it has
a good beat. “Wind from the West, fish bite the best…” The
pattern of accented syllables, or feet, is called dactylic tetrameter. A dactyl
is an accented syllable followed by two unaccented syllables. The end of each
line contains an iamb, which is an accented syllable that follows an unaccented
syllable. Unlike most literary poetry, this proverb is extremely regular in
its rhythm; the regular meter seems to be a tool to aid memorization rather
than a form of artistic expression.

In addition to a regular meter, this proverb has a consistent rhyme scheme.
The proverb consists of four couplets—that is, a set of two lines that
rhyme. This rhyme scheme helps one to remember the next line; if you know the
first line, you know that the second line must rhyme with the first line. The
aabbccdd pattern is simple and memorable; the rhymes themselves are pleasing
to the ear.

As a whole, the proverb is very repetitive. Each couplet uses the literary
technique of parallelism, or incremental repetition. The four couplets closely
resemble each other in sound and structure, with only a few word changes to
distinguish the differences. The repetition keeps the proverb easy to remember;
it also defines the purpose of the proverb by repeating key words: Wind, Fish,
Bite.

This proverb consists of simple, one-syllable words that convey a concise
meaning. The language of the saying is straightforward and utilitarian. This
simplicity makes the proverb accessible to most people. Instead of being confused
or put off by unfamiliar terms, nearly any listener can understand and remember
this saying after hearing it once or twice. This simplicity has aided the saying’s
mobility and longevity.

Giant lure made by Jack Swedburg,
Burnett County, WI.

Photo by Ruth Olson

Weather Prediction Methods

Weather engulfs us. Its influence can be both dramatic and subtle. Weather
tempers how we dress, how we live, the music we play, and the art we create.
It can destroy our homes and threaten our lives. It affects our daily activities,
leisure, holidays, transportation, commerce, agriculture, and nearly every
aspect of our lives. Our fascination with the weather has led to 24-hour weather
networks, feature-length motion pictures, and an explosion of detailed weather
data over the Internet. Weather and its ever-changing nature has always drawn
the attention of people and sometimes even alters their lives.

The atmosphere is very complicated, yet easily observable. People have always
observed the atmosphere and have used their observations to explain atmospheric
phenomena. Observing and then analyzing the atmosphere to gain an understanding
is a scientific way of thinking. Peoples’ observations, explanations
and understanding of the weather have naturally led to weather forecasts. Folklore
forecasts are rooted in observations and passed down through the generations.
While memorable, the folklore forecasts are of uneven quality—some good,
others bad. This is just one method of forecasting the weather. Other methods
include: Persistence, Climatological, Trend, Analog, and Numerical Weather
Forecasts.

A persistence forecast is simple: the weather you are having now will be the
weather you have later. The accuracy of this forecast is very dependent on
where you are, the type of upper-troposphere winds that exist over your location,
and how long a forecast you want. Low winds usually means a good persistence
forecast.

A climatology forecast relies on the observation that weather for a particular
day at a location doesn’t change much from one year to the next. As a
result, a longterm average of weather on a certain day or month should be a
good guess as to the weather for that day or month. An obvious climatology
forecast for the Northern Hemisphere middle latitudes is, “Cold in December,
warm in July.” You don’t need to be a meteorologist to make that
forecast! The success of this forecast derives from the fact that weather,
although changeable, is strongly determined by the tilt of the Earth and the
global energy budget. Climatology forecasts can be quite specific. A favorite
is the “White Christmas” forecast: What is the percent chance that
at least one inch of snow will be on the ground at a particular location on
December 25? This forecast depends on the past thirty years of weather observations
on Christmas Day across the United States. It would change somewhat if more,
fewer, or different years were used in the climatology.

A trend forecast acknowledges that weather does change, but assumes that the
weather-causing patterns, such as an extratropical cyclone, are themselves
unchanging in speed, size, intensity, and direction of movement. Benjamin Franklin
pioneered the concept of trend forecasting in 1743. Clouds ruined an eclipse
for Ben in Philadelphia, but his brother in Boston saw the eclipse clearly.
The clouds did not reach Boston until many hours later. Franklin discovered
that “nor’easter” cyclones frequently moved up the East Coast,
a trend that could be used to forecast the weather. Trend forecasts work quite
well for a period of several hours. Forecasting for such a brief period is
called "nowcasting." This is because large-scale weather systems
such as cyclones don’t change very much over a short time period. Satellite
observations are very useful in nowcasting.

The analog forecast acknowledges that weather changes, but unlike the trend
method, it assumes that weather patterns can evolve with time. The key—and
flawed—assumption for the analog forecast is that history repeats itself,
meteorologically speaking. The analog forecaster’s task is to locate
the date in history when the weather is a perfect match, or analog, to today’s
weather. Then the forecast for tomorrow is simple: whatever happened in the
day after the analog will be the weather for tomorrow. The forecast for the
day after tomorrow is whatever happened in the second day after the analog,
and so forth.

The technique of approximating tough real-world problems with numbers is called
numerical modeling. The numerical formulas used are called a model, just as
a realistic approximation of a train is called a “model railroad.” The
weather forecasts you’ve grown up hearing are based on a small number
of numerical models of the atmosphere. These models coordinate the essential
work of performing millions of arithmetic calculations. They are converted
from arithmetic formulas into complicated computer programs comprised of tens
of thousands of lines of computer code. Most of today’s forecasts are
based on predictions from numerical weather models.

Suggested Activities

Introducing Proverbs

Begin by telling a story of a proverb that is a part of your family’s
tradition. Include in the story who usually says the proverb and what it means
to your family. Ask students to name proverbs that they know. Have them give
the same type of contextual information as you did: from whom did they learn
these sayings; why do they remember it today? How do they use these sayings
in their lives—do they look for a red sky the night before a softball
game or a swimming trip?

After several proverbs have been named and recorded on the board, ask what
the similarities are between these different proverbs (they give advice; they
contain wisdom; they’re short; they’re easy to remember, etc.)
Cull the main defining elements of proverbs from the discussion.

Class Discussion on Artistic Qualities of Proverbs

Return to the class-generated proverbs on the board. Ask the students to identify
the vital narrative aspect of each proverb. Is it the rhyme, the imagery, the
humor, the contrasts, or something else that make the proverb pithy?

Understanding the Proverb

Have your students read the “Wind from the West…” proverb
carefully. Discuss what advice is being given in each line. Together produce
a table referencing what each of the four component wind directions predicts
about fishing conditions. The result should be similar to the following:

Observed Wind Direction

Probable Fishing Conditions

North

Poor, possibly dangerous

South

Excellent

West

Excellent

East

Poor

Making Predictions

Review the Norwegian Model of the mid-latitude cyclone. According to the wind directions associated with the low pressure and fronts of this model, have your students predict where the fishing would be good, poor, and/or dangerous.

Now let’s make this model more applicable to their lives! Given this weather scenario (shown below with fronts and the low pressure center), have your students choose which of the three Wisconsin lakes they would rather fish on. Which lake should be avoided for safety reasons?

Interview a Fisherman

Have your students interview a member of their family or community who
is an avid fisherman. Do these fishermen use any specific fishing proverbs?
Do they have beliefs that link weather and fishing?

Invite your students to create a proverb based on the experiences of the fisherman,
as explained in the interview.

Various Wisconsin-made baits
from Eau Claire, Stevens Point,
Milwaukee, on display at the
Northland Fishing Museum
in Osseo, WI.

Photo by Ruth Olson

Analysis of Other Versions of the Proverb

Point out differences in different versions of the saying. Have students talk about why these different versions have come into existence. What has changed? How might identity differ from proverb to proverb?

Examples:

When the wind is from the south
the rain's in its mouth.

The wind in the west
Suits everyone best.

When the wind is blowing in the North
No fisherman should set forth,
When the wind is blowing in the East,
'Tis not fit for man nor beast,
When the wind is blowing in the South
It brings the food over the fish's mouth,
When the wind is blowing in the West,
That is when the fishing’s best!

Create Their Own!

Have your students write their own weather proverb based on their personal
observations of weather signs—i.e. wind, clouds, temperature, rain, fog,
rainbows, etc. Encourage your students to use literary techniques such as rhyme
scheme, meter, alliteration, assonance, and consonance in order to sharpen
their skills. Students can illustrate their weather proverbs and write a story
in which a character from their own community uses the proverb.

Extension Activities

Analyze “Red Sky at Night” Proverb

Analyze the following proverb for the artistic and cultural qualities. Analyze
why it holds true meteorologically.

This saying often yields a fairly accurate forecast. A clear western sky
at sunset allows the sun to shine through the atmosphere, its light reddening
due to Rayleigh scattering, which removes the blue colors from white light.
The red colors then reflect off clouds in the eastern sky. Storm clouds to
the east generally travel to the east under the influence of jet-stream winds.
The reverse is true in the morning when the red sunlight shines on storm
clouds approaching from the west, signaling the approach of a storm. However,
this folklore doesn't work at all in overcast conditions, or at tropical
latitudes where weather often moves from east to west.

On the Hunt for More Weather Proverbs

Have students ask their parents, neighbors, grandparents or friends if they
know any weather proverbs. Ask students to write down any new weather proverbs
that they hear. Students should be encouraged to talk to their informants
about how they use proverbs. Lead a class discussion that brings out the
common threads between different students’ experiences. This activity
could be integrated with art by illustrating the proverbs.

Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest Winds?

As you and your students may have noticed, there is no mention in the proverb
of such wind directions as Northeast and Southwest, etc. Have your students
discuss what fishing conditions these wind directions could foster according
to the logic of the saying and the Norwegian model. It may be useful to use
the chart they created in the Understanding the Proverb activity above, adding
on the four new wind directions. Next, have them make up a saying of their
own that utilizes one or more of the directions not mentioned in the proverb.